For a lot of people, saving energy at home doesn’t just mean spending lesser on utility bills, but’s also a great way for them to reduce their carbon footprint. Being environmentally responsible is a hot topic in today’s world and it’s important we take whatever small measures we can to be able to achieve a positive outcome.

Saving energy certainly is great for your budget. Even something as small as good quality, energy efficient light bulbs can help you save a lot of money on utility bills each year.

The first thing you should look at when it comes to saving energy is your lighting. This is one area where you can save a lot of money on energy. It will certainly make a difference to your bank balance at the end of the month and will reduce your consumption of the Earth’s resources.

The best way of doing this is by investing in some energy efficient bulbs. This might seem like an obvious assumption to make but what most people do is head to the supermarket and pick up the cheapest halogen bulb they can find.

This certainly is the simplest solution and is also the least expensive, but it can end up costing you quite a bit of money in the long run and will also prove to be very inconvenient. You should consider LED’s instead. They can last you for as much as 25 years and can save you hundreds of dollars each year. This greatly outweighs the slightly higher price you need to pay for them.

Apart from light bulbs, you can also try and take advantage of natural light as much as you can so that you aren’t forced to use lighting too much.

This is quite an effective solution. Invest in sheer netting so that you don’t have to keep your curtains closed all day and can still enjoy your privacy. Also, remember to switch off the lights whenever you do not need them.

You can save lots of energy when it comes to heating too. While we certainly enjoy the warmth inside our homes, sometimes, it makes more sense to wear a couple of additional layers of clothes instead of turning on the electric or gas heater. You don’t always need your home to be at optimum temperature. Reducing the temperature by as little as 2-3 degrees can result in huge savings.

And lastly, make one small change when it comes to the electrical appliances you use at home. By putting appliances like DVD players, computers, televisions, etc. in standby instead of switching them off, you are using a significant amount of electricity. So turn them off completely or unplug them and save hundreds of dollars each year.